guards on patrol halted as they watched her depart. None wanted to cross her path.
* * *
In the woods, a night sky filled with stars and a full moon could be a blessing by making it easier to find water, shelter, or perhaps even some food. If nothing else, the extra light could go a long way in preventing a twisted ankle.
None of that mattered when leading a unit behind enemy lines. Stealth was crucial. Light reflecting off the steel attached to each person could get a soldier killed.
By the time I got back to my unit, Hamath had most everyone covered in mud. If someone missed a spot, another person eagerly helped conceal it. No one wanted to die because of another’s laziness.
I jumped right in with the others and began picking up handfuls of sludge, slathering it on my legs. Before I even finished, hands from the other members of my unit were all over me. What I received from them came on extra thick.
I took it in stride. Let them have their fun.
The smell of the mud finally got to me, making me gag as I smoothed the last of it around my nose and lips. “Gods, Hamath. Did you haul this in from the latrines?”
He chuckled. “At least the mosquitoes have finally left us alone.”
Summers in Genesha were brutal. Besides the heat, mosquitoes the size of small birds hounded you.
“Well, I guess that’s one positive.”
Hamath grinned, white teeth rimmed in black muck. “I may not even wash this off when we’re done. Not if it means having a good night’s sleep without that constant buzzing at my ears.”
I inclined my head. “You’re actually thinking of sleep? What about your traditional romp with one of the whores when we get back?”
“I never said I wouldn’t pay them a visit first.”
“Covered in mud?”
“They’re not going to care what I’m covered in so long as my coin is good.”
“You gotta remember, Ty,” said Ira, jumping into the conversation. “Hamath gave up on women long ago. Been giving his coin to the animals last I heard.” He cackled. “He comes walking up covered in all that mud he won’t even need his coin. Pigs might give him a free one.”
Ira stood next to Dekar as usual. The two brothers were a year apart, but they looked like twins. Same blond hair, green eyes, and pale skin. They even had the same tone of voice. The mud only added to their resemblance.
Dekar flashed the rare smile at his brother’s jest. The two looked alike, but their personalities couldn’t have been more different. Ira loud and jesting. Dekar quiet and thinking.
The rest of the squad broke out into laughter as well, including Hamath, helping ward off the somber mood none of us wanted to face. Whether a first or hundredth mission, everyone got anxious before leaving.
We all had friends who had never returned.
“Tyrus. It’s time.”
The laughter faded at the sound of Ava’s voice. Her eyes opened. Her hand dropped away from her temple. Communication with the other mages had been severed.
Each of the twelve elite units that reported to Balak had their own mage in order to speed communications. It was a luxury none of us took for granted.
The ominous mood we had tried to avoid washed over us.
“All right,” I said. “Let’s move out.”
We took only a few steps when I heard a familiar jingling from the man next to me. I paused, grabbed Gal’s arm and pulled him aside as I signaled Hamath to keep the others moving.
Lots of soldiers had their superstitions or religious quirks. However, I’d never met anyone quite as passionate about his accessories as Gal.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
He tried to give me a confused look, but with his mismatched eyes of gray and blue, he just seemed mentally unstable. “What do you mean, Sarge?”
“Don’t start. We’re not doing this again, Gal. You know you can’t bring all that junk with you. You’ll make enough noise to alert the Geneshans long before we get there.”
“Sarge, it ain’t junk. It all has meaning.”
He reached around his neck and started pulling free four pendants that hung there. Each were made of bronze or silver. He started explaining their meanings.
I cut him off. “I don’t care. You know the rule. We do this every blasted time.”
“But Sarge, this time’s different. I got a bad feeling that something is going to happen. The last thing I want to do is turn my back on Molak, Xank, Prax, or even